Ladder attachment



1. SCHAAF AND W. TOMASKOFF.

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

APrLlcArmN FILED FEB.2,'19:1.

TASSSBQ Y Bamm oct. 2A, 1922,

` INVE TORSI mn/WM A m @W B ATTORNEYS. f

CFI

Patented @et Ztl, i922..

nutren learner i? i i rotin sortear ann wratten rroiviesnorrgor nnwnnn, new i'nnsnr'.

Lantana aranci-nannte.

appneaubn inea February i provements in Ladder Attachments, of which "the following isa specication.

This invention relates in geiieralto ladder terminals or attachments, and more particularly to a ladder attachment adapted to be applied to the` upper end ot the stile of a `ladder to prevent` both lateral and longitudinal slipping or sliding oi" the ladder along the wall of a building or other upright surface with which the `ladder is used. y

The objects of the invention are to pro- `vide a ladder attachment ofthehcharacter de scribed embodying novel `features' ot' `construction comprising a pointed or other bearing membertorA postively engaging the wall of building or the like, and means for detachably mounting the said pointed member on the end of thestile of a ladder; to provide an improved construction in which the bearing `member has a i limited movement relatively to the ladder so that the ladder may flex or bend under the weight of a person ascendingor descending without disturbing the engagement of the` bearing lmeiiibeil with the wall or the like thereby eliminating scratching or other marring of the wall by the bearing member; to provide aladder attachment comprising a body por.- tion adapted to be detachably secured to the stile of a ladder, and a bearingmemberV pivotally mounted on said body portion to swing in a plane longitudinally of the ladder, said body portion being` formed with spaced stops to limit said swinging; to provide such a ladder attachment having a spring to' normally influence said bearing member toward a position substantially midway between said stops, and to obtain other resultsand advantages as may be brought out by the following description. p

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals ofrei'erence indicate the same partsthroughout the several views, Figure l is a side elevation of a ladder attachment constructed in accordance with our invention, showing the manner of applying the same to the stile of a ladder in dicated by dot and dash lines; p Figure 2 isa front end `elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof;

2,1921. Serial No; 441,752.

`Figure` l is a fragmentary longitudinal` sectional view throughthe forward end of the body portion, the bearing member being shown in side elevation, and i n )FigurenV is aperspective view cit the por- -tion of aladder and a wall or the like, showingthe manner of using ourinvention.

inthe embodiment ot the invention shown in the drawings thc numeral 1 designates the body portion of the attachment "which may be conveniently formed or' a sing-lestrip `of sheet material bent into altshape and `having secured between the extremities of the arms thereoiE a block 2. The dimensions ot thebodyportion l are such as to enable the same to beloosely slipped over the end of the stile 3 ot a ladder. or` the purpose of clamping the body portion l to the stile of the ladder the block Amounted a clamping screw 5, the inner end of which has a swivel connection twith a toothed clamping or dog plate 7; The outer endet-the screw 5 is provided with a handle bar 8 slidably mounted in thehead 5a of the screw to slide transversely thereof. i i

3 The end ofthe body portion l opposite the clamping Screw 5 carries the bearing member 9 which is preferably anisosceles triangular block.` This bearing member 9 is pivotally mounted on a pivotV pin l0 in a housing 1l, `.secured "to the body portion l in any suitable manner as by riveting', the forward end of the housing being provided with an opening 12 through which projects the bearingmember` 9. The pivot pin l0 passes through the bearing member 9 adjacent the short side or base thereof and substantially centrally of the length of said side. Thus the sharpest angle or apex of the bearing member projects outwardly through the opening 12 in the housing ll, and the outer end of the bearing member may have its sides beveled as at 13 to providev a sharp point for engagement with a wall or the like with which the ladder is to be used. The outer end of the bearing member 9 is normally positioned substantially centrally oit` the opening l2 by means or a iiat spring le which engages the short side of the bearing member, the said spring being spaced from the end of the body portion l by means of the laterally bent ends 15 of the spring. lt willthus be seen that the bearing member 9 may swing in the opening 12, the extent of the movement being determined by the end 2 may be provided with a-thi'eaded opening t :in `which is Walls of said opening, the spring let being flexed during the swinging of the bearing member as indicated by dot and dash lines in Figure 4.

In the use of the device one attachment is applied to each stile of the ladder near the upper end thereof, as shown in Figure 5, the clamping screwY 5 and plate 7 serving to securely but detaohably fasten the Vfoot to the stile of the ladder. The pointed ends of the bearing members 9 thus engage the Wall or other upright surface Wit-h which the ladder is being used to prevent longitudinal or lateral sliding or slipping of the ladder on the Wall. The slight longitudinal movement o-r flexing of the ladder due te the Weight ol: a. perso-n ascending or descending the same is compensated for' `by the swinging of the vbearing` member 9 on the pivot pin 10, thus the engagement of the bearing member 9 with thev Wall is undisturbed, thereby eliminating scratches or other marring on the wall which would be incident to sliding of lthe bearing member were the same in fixed relation to the stile of the ladder.

Other forms of clamping means for securing the ladder iioot to the stile of a ladder may be utilized instead or" the clamping screwillustrated7 such as for instance, cam levers, or the like.

While we have shown and described one possible embodiment of our invention, it Will be understood that this is for the purpose of illustrating the principles thereof only, and tha-tlmany modifications and changes can be made in the detail construction of the same Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what We claim is:

l. A ladder attachment including a body portion adapted to,be attached to the stile of a ladder, .a bearing member pivotally mounted on said body portion to engage a Wall or the like With a single point contact to prevent slipping of the ladder, said bear fing member being mounted to swing in a plane longitudinally of the ladder to allow the ladder to move slightly longitudinally Without moving the point olf the engagement of said bearing member With the wall, and yielding means tending to hold said bearing member against movement.

2. A ladder attachment including a body portion adapted to be attached to the stile or a ladder, aV bearing member pivotally mounted between its ends on said body portion, one end of said member being adapted to engage a Wall or the like to prevent slipping oil the ladder, said bearing member being mounted to swing in the plane longitudinally of the ladder to allow the ladder to move longitudinally without moving the point of engagement of the bearing member with the Wall, and yielding means engaging the other end of said bearing member tending to hold the same against movement on its pivot.

23. A ladder attachment including a body portion adapted to be attached to the stile of a ladder, a bearing member pivotally mounted between its ends on said body portion and having a flat end. the end of said member opposite said fiat end being` adapted to engage a Wall or the like to prevent slipping of the ladder` and a substantially flat spring interposed between said flat end of the bearing member and the body portion tending to hold said bearing member against swinging on its pivot.

el. A ladder attachment including a body portion adapted-to be attached to the stile of a ladder and having an opening therein, a bearing member pivotally mounted on said body portion and projectingr through said opening to engage a wall or the like to prevent slipping of the ladder, the edges of said opening serving as stops to limit the movement of said bearing member on its pivot, and yielding means for normally holding said bearing member at a point between said stops.

JOHN SCHA AF. WILLIAM TOMASKOFF. 

